It is known to record data in multiple tracks on a data-containing medium, each of which must be successfully read in order to read the data. For example, the LTO tape drive is a known format that records data in multiple tracks.
Generally, processing electronics provided to read data from the tracks has components that must be trained to the data before successful reading of the data can occur. Such components include FIR filters, automatic gain controls, etc. The data recorded in the tracks contain portions that are specifically provided to train these components. If the beginning of these portions are missed by the processing circuitry then successful training of the electronics can fail leading to subsequent failure to read the data.
Prior art solutions have constructed complex detectors that help to ensure that the beginning of the training data is not missed. However, this is not an ideal solution. Providing complex detectors does not guarantee that the beginning of the training will be spotted; it can still be missed and it only helps to reduce the chance of the beginning being missed.
Further, the complexity of the detectors increases the complexity of their manufacture. This increased manufacturing complexity reduces the manufacturing yield, which in turn increases the cost of the detectors.
Thus, the cost is increased not only due to the increased complexity, but also due to the reduced yield.
Yet a further problem is that the as the complexity of the detector increases the period between reading the beginning of the training data and the detector outputting that the beginning has been read increases. Thus, a large latency can be created as the complexity of the detector increases.
It is an aim of the present invention to reduce or remove the problems discussed in relation to the prior art.